Washington, August 8: The complete Neanderthal mitochondrial genome sequenced from a 38,000-year-old bone has shown that the last common ancestor of Neanderthals and humans lived about 660,000 years ago, give or take 140,000 years.
Analysis of the new sequence confirms that the mitochondria of Neanderthals falls outside the variation found in humans today, offering no evidence of admixture between the two lineages, although it remains a possibility.
The findings open a window into the Neanderthals’ past and help answer lingering questions about our relationship to them.